Grants for Science Education: K-12 Teachers and Schools

Science classrooms need equipment, consumables, technology and time for teachers to learn new methods. Most of that comes from school budgets, but grants can fund projects that budgets cannot: a stream-monitoring program, a set of microscopes, a robotics club or a summer research experience.

Grants for individual teachers

Toshiba America Foundation

The Toshiba America Foundation funds project-based STEM learning designed by teachers. According to its guidelines, K-5 teachers can request up to $1,000, with applications accepted once a year around October 1. Grades 6-12 teachers can request up to $5,000 on a rolling basis with periodic review dates, and larger 6-12 requests have fixed deadlines twice a year. Check the foundation's site for the current schedule.

Professional science societies

• The ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Classroom Grant from the American Chemical Society funds resources, activities and laboratory equipment for high school chemistry classrooms. ACS also offers separate professional development grants for chemistry teachers.
• The National Science Teaching Association and discipline societies in physics, biology and earth science run teacher awards and small grants. Membership is sometimes required.

Local sources

Local education foundations, utilities and electric cooperatives, credit unions, and engineering or technology employers often run classroom grants for STEM. Many are small but simple to apply for.

Federal sources

Title IV, Part A and other formula funds

ESSA Title IV, Part A lists science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs, including computer science, among well-rounded education activities (20 U.S.C. 7117). District federal programs offices decide how these funds are spent, guided by state rules; funds must support programs and activities, not only equipment.

National Science Foundation

NSF education programs fund research, development and teacher preparation, usually through universities, school districts or nonprofits rather than individual classrooms:

• Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) supports research and development of STEM education resources, models and tools for preK-12.
• The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program funds institutions that prepare and retain STEM teachers in high-need districts.
• Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) sites give K-12 and community college teachers summer research experiences at universities. Teachers apply to a funded site, not to NSF.

NSF reorganized several directorates and programs in 2025 and 2026, so confirm that a program is active on nsf.gov before planning around it. Schools interested in DRK-12 or Noyce usually join a university partner's proposal.

Other agencies

NASA, NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have offered education grants, competitions and free classroom resources. Search Grants.gov by agency and the "Education" category, and check each agency's education office.

Foundations

Many private foundations support STEM education regionally. Our statistics and research, computers and technology and environment and conservation pages list relevant funders. To check whether a foundation funds K-12 science, read the grants list in its Form 990-PF on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

Tips for a strong science education proposal

Make the learning visible

Describe what students will investigate, which standards the project addresses (for example the Next Generation Science Standards, where your state uses them), and how students will show what they learned.

Be precise about equipment

List each item, the quantity, the unit price and the supplier quote. Explain how the equipment will be shared, stored and used in future years.

Include safety and logistics

For lab and field work, mention safety training, permissions and adult supervision. Reviewers notice when these are missing.

Plan to share results

Funders appreciate projects that reach beyond one classroom, such as student presentations, a science night or sharing lessons with colleagues.

Project ideas that suit small grants

• Water quality or weather monitoring, with student-collected data shared with a local agency or university.
• A classroom set of probes and sensors for physics and chemistry labs.
• A school garden or outdoor classroom used for life science investigations.
• Coding and robotics kits for an after-school club that feeds into a competition.
• Family science nights run by students.

Building a yearly calendar

Teacher grant deadlines cluster in the fall and spring. Each summer, list the funders you plan to approach, their deadlines and decision dates, and the earliest date money can be spent. The Toshiba America Foundation's K-5 deadline, for example, falls once a year in early October, while its 6-12 small grants are reviewed several times a year. A calendar lets you reuse the same project description, budget and outcomes across applications instead of starting from scratch each time.

Equipment versus programs

Some funders, including federal formula programs, prefer to pay for programs and activities rather than equipment alone. Frame equipment as part of a defined learning project with goals and a timeline, and you will fit more funders' guidelines.

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